CORPUS LINGUISTICS AND TRANSLATION AT UNIVERSITY LEVEL: A CASE STUDY

This presentation aims to analyze a course of English Corpus Linguistics and Translation implemented at the University of Urbino, Italy. In this face-to-face learning environment, students were first introduced to Corpus Linguistics theory and then asked to use a variety of corpora autonomously to carry out the assigned translations from Italian into English.
Students’ application of corpus linguistics principles and methods to translating were investigated. In particular, prior to, while, and upon completion of the translation assigned as their final exam, students were provided with a grid where they were required to note down the corpora they searched, including reference corpora, monitor corpora, comparable corpora, parallel unidirectional/reciprocal corpora, and Do-it-Yourself specialized corpora. Learners also had to indicate the various corpus tools – such as concordance lines, word lists, keyword lists, word sketches, word sketch differences, and complex query language – they used to translate targeted lexical items. Concurrently, students were asked to keep a journal in which they were to jot down their reflections about the translation process they were engaged in; learners’ awareness as translators through the use of corpora was thus enhanced. Furthermore, after completing their translation, students were administered a final close-ended questionnaire. The quantitative and qualitative data gathered through the various instruments were analyzed and interpreted. Learners’ awareness of the affordances of the use of corpora in translation emerged clearly.
The results of this study can be applied to similar teaching/learning environments at university level.